Reese Ryan — Novelist | Journalist | Essayist | Hopeless Romantichttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com
Sizzling fiction featuring deliciously-flawed multicultural characters.Fri, 18 Aug 2017 04:41:37 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngReese Ryan — Novelist | Journalist | Essayist | Hopeless Romantichttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com
How to Write 10,000 Words in a Dayhttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/how-to-write-10000-words-in-a-day/
https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/how-to-write-10000-words-in-a-day/#respondSun, 20 Dec 2015 02:35:50 +0000http://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/how-to-write-10000-words-in-a-day/The Sprint Shack: We word sprinters like to push ourselves. The pressure of a time limit makes us more productive and we thrive on the challenge. And what greater challenge is there for a sprinter than writing more words in a day than we believed possible? For those of you looking to…]]>

We word sprinters like to push ourselves. The pressure of a time limit makes us more productive and we thrive on the challenge. And what greater challenge is there for a sprinter than writing more words in a day than we believed possible?

For those of you looking to really test yourselves, the 10k Day Challenge might be just the thing. If you’re interested in giving it a go yourself, here are my six steps to writing 10,000 words in one day.

(Before I start, I will add a small note: although the focus of this post is on writing 10,000 words in a single day, the steps listed can apply to any word count goal you set yourself, whether that’s 1000 words, 10,000 or more.)

Step 1: Break down your target into manageable chunks.

]]>https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/how-to-write-10000-words-in-a-day/feed/0reeseryanwritesA Virtuous Ruby, Rachel Dolezal and the value of blacknesshttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/a-virtuous-ruby-rachel-dolezal-and-the-value-of-blackness/
https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/a-virtuous-ruby-rachel-dolezal-and-the-value-of-blackness/#respondMon, 15 Jun 2015 13:10:55 +0000http://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/a-virtuous-ruby-rachel-dolezal-and-the-value-of-blackness/Piper Huguley : Ruby will be available on all platforms and in print exactly one month from today! In the flurry of discussion about the Rachel Dolezal story, people have overlooked one big issue. I haven’t though. This issue has made me think of how much, in one hundred years time when I…]]>

Ruby will be available on all platforms and in print exactly one month from today!

In the flurry of discussion about the Rachel Dolezal story, people have overlooked one big issue. I haven’t though. This issue has made me think of how much, in one hundred years time when I set A Virtuous Ruby, how little has changed. Dolezal is clearly a pathological liar, but the reception of her deception is what interests me. Many have gone out of their way to treat blackness with complete and utter contempt.

Media figures have postured that the blackness that Dolezal sought to appropriate could not possibly be something that a sane person would want to take on as worthwhile. I witnessed this treatment in the quizzical voices of journalists as they interviewed her parents. Their treatment reminded me of how my light-skinned character, Ruby Bledsoe chose to work and live as…

]]>https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/15/a-virtuous-ruby-rachel-dolezal-and-the-value-of-blackness/feed/0reeseryanwritesAn Open Letter to White, Straight, Able-bodied Romance Authorshttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/an-open-letter-to-white-straight-able-bodied-romance-authors/
https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/an-open-letter-to-white-straight-able-bodied-romance-authors/#commentsTue, 09 Jun 2015 18:27:52 +0000http://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/an-open-letter-to-white-straight-able-bodied-romance-authors/Obstinate Headstrong Girl ... author Renée Reynolds: My esteemed colleagues, We have a very long way to go. Most of us say “Diversity in literature is really important,” and/or “I am not racist/ ableist/homophobic,” and/or “Of course, I would buy a romance novel by or about a person of color/gay or lesbian/disabled…]]>

Most of us say “Diversity in literature is really important,” and/or “I am not racist/ ableist/homophobic,” and/or “Of course, I would buy a romance novel by or about a person of color/gay or lesbian/disabled person.” But when was the last time you did?

When was the last time you bought a romance by an author, or about a character, with a different cultural, historical, or physical experience than your own? About a person with a different skin color, nationality, religion? About a gay man or lesbian or transgender person? When was the last time you bought a romance with a physically or mentally disadvantaged hero or heroine? A novel about people who live in the margins?

]]>https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/an-open-letter-to-white-straight-able-bodied-romance-authors/feed/2Featured Image -- 98reeseryanwritesA to Z Challenge: P is for Persistencehttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/a-to-z-challenge-p-is-for-persistence/
https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/a-to-z-challenge-p-is-for-persistence/#respondSat, 18 Apr 2015 15:03:16 +0000http://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/a-to-z-challenge-p-is-for-persistence/susanne matthews: Good morning. It’s Saturday, and I’m ready for some rest and recreation. Later this morning, I’m attending a mini comic book/sci-fi convention. I won’t be in costume, but my grandkids will. I understand there’ll be Batman, Green Lantern and two clone stormtroopers.–Tonio was adamant about the clone part, so it…]]>

Good morning. It’s Saturday, and I’m ready for some rest and recreation. Later this morning, I’m attending a mini comic book/sci-fi convention. I won’t be in costume, but my grandkids will. I understand there’ll be Batman, Green Lantern and two clone stormtroopers.–Tonio was adamant about the clone part, so it should be lots of fun.

I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the A to Z Challenge today. I wanted to talk about how dismal I am at promotion, but as I was getting ready to do so, a poster one of my friends gave me convinced me to that what I needed to write about was persistence.

This morning I’ve been dancing around my kitchen with unbridled happiness, as if no-one is watching. Though my husband is, in fact, watching me and probably debating whether to call an ambulance. But I can barely contain the joy of finally making a decision about where my fiction-writing career is going next.

Thanks to a marathon session with a writing coach who helped me identify and move past some of the fears that were holding me back, I was able to settle on the series with which I’ll launch my venture into the world of indie publishing. And thanks to the amazing readers who took the time to share their opinions and ideas for a title, and said husband whose vote confirmed my final choice, my small town, contemporary romance series has a name: Hot Carolina Nights.

I’d already created titles for each of the books planned in the series. However, a serendipitous idea prompted me to spend yesterday morning renaming several of the books so that the story titles would all fit thematically with the series title. I also spent some time creating a relationship web to establish relationships between characters in each book and throughout the series.

So, yeah, I’m beyond happy. Thrilled, in fact. On that note, I’ll leave you with a live performance “Blue Rondo à la Turk,,” a classic jazz piece by the amazing Dave Brubeck Quartet (one of the songs I was dancing to this morning). This piece shares that same feeling of unrestrained joy (and unusual timing) that was on display in my kitchen this morning.

Today I’m over on Hot M.A.M.A. Land celebrating our Hot Holiday #Giveaway Days. During each one of our posts, between now and December 19th, commenters will be entered in that day’s giveaway and into the two grand prize giveaways of a $50 gift card and a handbag.

In today’s post, I’m asking readers for help naming a new contemporary romance series I’m writing that will be set in a small, but growing, town in North Carolina. Hop over to my post onHot M.A.M.A. Land and tell me in the comments which of the possible series names you prefer (or share your idea). Then you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway and the grand prize giveaway. If I choose your series name, I’m offering an additional bonus that will make you one of the first to read the first book in the series.

Good luck!

]]>https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/name-my-next-contemporary-romance-series-giveaway/feed/0reeseryanwritesHot M.A.M.A. Land Hot Holiday #Giveaway DaysReeseRyanSignatureSifting Through Mud with Demetria Foster Grayhttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/sifting-through-mud-with-demetria-foster-gray/
https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/sifting-through-mud-with-demetria-foster-gray/#commentsWed, 10 Sep 2014 15:58:46 +0000http://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/sifting-through-mud-with-demetria-foster-gray/M. Kinnel, Writer: As the world of blogging goes, you tend to e-meet (yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that word used somewhere before) a lot of people. One such person that I have had the pleasure of getting acquainted with is Demetria Foster Gray. Her blog, Shaken But Not Stirred, often…]]>

As the world of blogging goes, you tend to e-meet (yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that word used somewhere before) a lot of people. One such person that I have had the pleasure of getting acquainted with is Demetria Foster Gray. Her blog, Shaken But Not Stirred, often offers insight about everyday life. To describe it, in her own words, it “showcases human behavior in its purest form to unveil how we navigate around, under, over, and through our daily existence. Because the point is, even though we get shaken up by life, it’s up to us to not be stirred”.

Demetria recently debuted her novel, Sifting Through Mud, which I literally just finished reading, and I’m really excited to shine the spotlight on her today.

Sifting Through Mud is a superb story of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness. Demetria does a fantastic job weaving together two…

]]>https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/reese-ryans-latest/feed/0reeseryanwritesCensoring Your Novel – When Is The F Word Appropriate?https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/censoring-your-novel-when-is-the-f-word-appropriate/
https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/censoring-your-novel-when-is-the-f-word-appropriate/#respondThu, 17 Jul 2014 13:55:43 +0000http://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/censoring-your-novel-when-is-the-f-word-appropriate/emmyyoshida: Editing for me is the most difficult part of writing a novel. So many ideas, characters, plot lines and opinions to take into consideration that it can be easy to become obsessive when finalising the changes needed to make your book the best is can be. One topic that has been…]]>

Very interesting topic for writers. Where do you fall in this discussion?

Editing for me is the most difficult part of writing a novel. So many ideas, characters, plot lines and opinions to take into consideration that it can be easy to become obsessive when finalising the changes needed to make your book the best is can be.

One topic that has been brought up on many occassions while I have been doing book signings from various people has been the aversion many readers seem to have to swearing in a book. Sometimes I will speak to people about my novel Corrupted and one of the first questions they will ask is, “does it have swearing in it?” Admitting that yes, ‘Corrupted is littered with swear words,’ is enough to put many people off of reading my book straight away, I have found so many people who are against the use of foul language in literature that I am considering cutting most…

]]>https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/censoring-your-novel-when-is-the-f-word-appropriate/feed/0reeseryanwritesPretty Colorshttps://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/pretty-colors/
https://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/pretty-colors/#respondWed, 11 Jun 2014 18:52:19 +0000http://reeseryanwrites.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/pretty-colors/Women Unplugged: It’s been said women want the same things men want, but in prettier colors. You can see this preference in action at any formal event in the Western world: men dress in dark suits, and women in a full spectrum of colors. This phenomenon has a profound effect on book marketing. Author…]]>

Interesting post from the brilliant Andrea J. Wenger on the dilemma of whether the term “women’s fiction” helps or hurts the genre.

It’s been said women want the same things men want, but in prettier colors. You can see this preference in action at any formal event in the Western world: men dress in dark suits, and women in a full spectrum of colors.

This phenomenon has a profound effect on book marketing.

Author Randy Susan Meyers (among many others) rightly point outs that the term women’s fiction unfairly segregates books by female authors: “Are there not many books written by men and marketed to all genders that include abuse, poverty, divorce, familial breakdown, and other social struggles? … If ‘women’s fiction’ is a marketing device, it’s confusing as thus. Label a novel ‘women’s fiction’ — is the message ‘not for men’?”

There’s no comparable label for men’s fiction, but from a marketing perspective, men’s fiction does exist. It’s just called fiction. Here’s what it looks like.